(Time to read this Blog is about 3 minutes)

Before we get to the main topic, here are a few things to get you thinking or smiling:

1. My Biz Quote of the week:
   “The ‘circle of life’ is a myth.  In truth, life is not a circle, but rather an upward or downward spiral.  An upward spiral of giving respect, joy, energy and encouragement to others, many of whom will do the same for you in return.

   Or, life is a downward spiral of disrespecting, dishonouring and stressing others, who will then do the same to you.  Choose your ‘spiral’ wisely.”    
   …Donald Cooper.

2. Quick Biz Tip:
   The myth of, “If you want anything done, do it yourself!”     
    
   I still hear this one from Coaching Clients.  But, here’s the thing, if your way is the only way, you’ll end up doing all of your team’s work.  But at least it will all be done your way…except for all the stuff that doesn’t get done at all, because you ran out of time.
    
   If you can’t or won’t create a trusted and competent team, then coach and encourage them, empower them, diligently follow up, thank and reward them, you’ll never create a profitable and saleable business.  You’ll just have bought yourself a job.  
    
3. ‘Medical Events’ on commercial airlines. There are approximately 80,000 ‘medical events’ on commercial airline flights each year.  The good news is that only 0.4% of those passengers (about 315) die during the flight, or shortly after landing.
    
4. Fun Fact: I love info that surprises me and reminds me that what we assume is true, often is not.  Here’s a great example…
    
   The US State with the most winter ski resorts is New York State with 52 ski resorts.  Next is Michigan with 33 ski resorts. Wisconsin and Colorado are tied for third place with 32 ski resorts each.
    
5. Amazon announces large layoff of ‘corporate’ staff. Amazon will cut 14,000 corporate jobs, globally (about 4% of their ‘Corporate’ staff).  Amazon’s CEO stated that the company wants to cut ‘bureaucracy’ and invest more in AI.
    
   According to research, the employees who survive layoffs feel sad, worried, betrayed and guilty.  And 74% of them report their productivity dropped significantly.

Now, to this week’s important topic:

Are you the creator of circumstances…or the victim of circumstances?…a fundamental decision that every business must make.   

Every morning when we get out of bed, go into the bathroom and look in the mirror, we have fundamental decision to make.  We can choose to see a victim in the mirror…or we can choose not to see a victim.  That decision we make very morning will have a huge impact on our day, our life and our business.  Sadly, way too many people make the wrong choice.

Winterdance is a family-owned ‘Dog-sled Tour and Experience’ business operating on 2,000 acres of wilderness in the Haliburton Highlands, about 3 hours north-east of Toronto.

(https://www.winterdance.com)

The dog-sledding business is seasonal and very weather dependent.  It’s said that when Mother Nature is your business partner, you have a fickle and potentially hostile partner.  On top of that, their dogs, 100 gorgeous Siberian Huskies, cost about $3,000 a year to feed and keep…but they generate revenue for only 4 months, in a good year.

So, it would be easy for the folks at Winterdance to develop a ‘victim mentality’, as many in seasonal, weather-dependent businesses do.  

But NOT the folks at Winterdance!  Here are just some of the things they’ve proactively done to be the ‘creator of circumstances’.

1. They added portable snow-making equipment to improve trail conditions and extend their dog-sledding season.
2. They partner with a Heli-Adventure provider to offer an extraordinary 8-hour, full-day ‘Elite Dog-sledding Wilderness Experience’, including private helicopter pick-up from, and return to, Toronto, for $1,425 per person.
3. In the Spring they produce maple syrup from trees on their 2,000 acres and sell that syrup in their Gift Shop all year round.
4. They added Summer ‘Husky Hiking Adventures’. ‘Hike with our Huskies’!  Guests love it, the dogs love it…and it makes money!
5. They built adorable, tiny off-grid cabins on their private lake and now offer 3-day, 2-night, fully guided and catered off-grid experiences, including canoeing and hiking, and all meals.
6. During October, normally a ‘zero-revenue month, they offer evening tours of their ‘Winterdance Haunted Halloween Forest’, for which they hire local people to play spooky characters.

Over the years they’ve built a huge database of past clients, media and Tourism key influencers. They use that database to consistently and effectively communicate their growing list of experiences.  Their website is also spectacular.  In fact, they do everything to such a high standard that they’ve received Trip Advisor’s ‘Certificate of Excellence’.

Because of all this, they’ve been featured on many TV shows in Canada and the USA, and been written up in many Newspapers and Magazines.  And, because of their being so well known and respected, they and 12 of their dogs were contracted to appear in the 2025 movie ‘Frankenstein’, staring Guillermo del Toro, in theatres this month.   This will add very nicely to their growing celebrity status.  ‘Famous’ is good! 

The folks at Winterdance have made the clear choice to be the creator of circumstances…not the victim of circumstances.  Is that a lot more work than sitting around complaining for 8 months of the year?  Sure it is. 

So, what mind-shift will you embrace, what innovative and proactive action will you take and with whom might you partner to become the creator of circumstances rather than the victim of circumstances?  And, how might that change the future of your business…and your life?

That’s it for this week…

Live brilliantly and be kind to each other!       

Donald Cooper 

Donald Cooper speaks and coaches internationally on management, marketing, and profitability.  He can be reached by email at donald@donaldcooper.com in Toronto, Canada.